Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was sworn in on Sunday for his fourth term, following a resounding victory in last month’s election where he secured more than 99 percent of the vote. The inauguration took place at a packed 45,000-seat stadium in Kigali, with several dozen African heads of state and dignitaries in attendance. Crowds began gathering from the early morning to witness the ceremony.
During the inauguration, Kagame took the oath of office before Chief Justice Faustin Ntezilyayo, pledging to ‘preserve peace and national sovereignty, consolidate national unity.’ His re-election on July 15 was widely expected, given his long-standing rule over Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, first as a de facto leader and later as president.
Kagame’s overwhelming victory, with 99.18 percent of the vote, raised concerns among rights activists, who pointed to the lack of democratic processes in Rwanda. Out of eight applicants, only two candidates were allowed to run against him. Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party, garnered 0.5 percent of the vote, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana received 0.32 percent.
Kagame is credited with rebuilding Rwanda after the devastating 1994 genocide, where approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis, were killed by Hutu extremists. However, critics argue that his rule is marked by a climate of fear and suppression of dissent. Additionally, Rwanda has faced accusations of fuelling instability in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, who attended the inauguration, was scheduled to hold private talks with Kagame about a ceasefire deal in the DRC. The agreement, brokered by Angola last month, was meant to address the conflict between the DRC and the M23 rebel group, which Rwanda is accused of supporting. However, the situation remains tense, as M23 rebels captured a town on the Ugandan border on August 4, the day the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.
With 65 percent of Rwanda’s population under 30, Kagame is the only leader most Rwandans have ever known. Among the tens of thousands present at the inauguration was 27-year-old trader Tania Iriza, who expressed her support for Kagame. ‘I proudly cast my vote for President Kagame and made it a priority to be here today to witness this historic inauguration,’ she said. ‘His leadership has been transformative for our nation.’
Kagame has won every presidential election he has contested, each time with more than 93 percent of the vote. In 2015, he oversaw controversial constitutional amendments that shortened presidential terms from seven to five years but reset the term limits, allowing him to potentially remain in power until 2034.
Africabriefing
